Immunogenetics of Eye Diseases

In many respects, the problems of ophthalmologists and rheumatologists are similar. A central enigma in both specialties is a group of inflammatory disorders that behave as if they result from infection but in which no living microorganisms have been found. For most of this century, causative organisms have been sought in the eyes and the joints with only limited success. As a result, many theories have been proposed to explain conditions such as acute anterior uveitis and rheumatoid arthritis.